These include the application of good management practices to all catchments; the provision of clear criteria as to when and how charges can be imposed; the need for more structured processes for iwi involvement; limiting effects to be mitigated to those directly related to the consent; and needing more clarity around costs and how conflicts of interests will be addressed.

The industry body said that supported most of the proposals for change, but also questioned the usefulness of water conservation orders given that they cut across the national policy statement processes. HortNZ opposed the proposal to make ‘significant infrastructure’ exempt for water quality measures. Significant infrastructure in the document refers to major works, such as dams.

In is HortNZ’s view it is everyone’s responsibility to manage freshwater and no specific sector or user should be given a free pass.

The document covers four key areas: freshwater and our environment, economic use of freshwater, iwi rights and interests in freshwater, and freshwater funding.

Read the submission here.